1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a forming apparatus for a powdery sample.
2. Description of the prior Art
A spectroscopic device, a hue meter, and the like are used for irradiating light on the surface of a powdery sample, e.g., flour, and receiving and measuring the light reflected by or transmitted through the sample, so that the nature of the sample, e.g., the component such as a water content, can be analyzed. It is important for measurement that the powdery sample is always presented to the devices with the same density and the same surface condition. To set the sample in such a condition is called forming of the powdery sample.
Conventionally, in the forming of the powdery sample employed for spectroscopic measurement, in order to obtain uniformity of the surface condition of the sample, the sample is placed in a shallow saucer-like container called a cell with a glass window on its bottom. The upper surface of the sample is uniformed by leveling, and the sample is pressed against the bottom of the cell, so that the surface condition of a portion of the sample facing the glass window is uniform. Usually, these forming operations are manually performed. Thus, an individual difference occurs in operation to cause a difference in surface condition from one sample to another, resulting in measurement error. Even if only the spectroscopic measurement operation can be automated, it is difficult to automate the entire forming operation.